Law offers temporary relief. Grace offers permanent freedom.
Living under a system of performance is like doing drugs. It gives us a temporary feeling of relief from guilt if we do something for God. However, when the feelings of guilt and shame return, we have to give ourselves another “hit” of dead works to numb the guilt and get the “high” that gives us the illusion that we have earned God’s pleasure.
The definition of drug addiction is “a brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.”1 In other words, there comes a point in the addicted person’s life where he’s not getting high because he wants to, he’s getting high because he HAS to, even though he knows it’s hurting him and the people closest to him.
For forty-five years of my life I was on a similar kind of treadmill with performance-based religion; and for the five years just prior to being ambushed by Grace several years ago, the consequences of being on that treadmill had taken its toll. I was fried, and it was having a serious negative affect on those around me. Yet, I so was “wired” for performance that instead of getting off the treadmill, I just ran faster – or actually, it was more like someone kept increasing the speed – higher and higher – and it was forcing me to keep up. (I wonder who would do such a cruel thing?) I remember regularly thinking of the famous phrase of George Jetson: “Jane, get me off this crazy thing!” I used to envision myself trying to jump off this machine that was going too fast, but I was afraid to jump off because I thought it might kill me! That’s the way it is with religion. We can’t get out of it until we jump off in faith and trust God. It’s scary, but it’s the only way to freedom.
“Through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39, NASB)2
Grace doesn’t appeal to the flesh because when righteousness is a gift, there is nothing we can do to relieve ourselves from dead works that do nothing to cleanse the conscience. However, grace is true freedom because God is offering us permanent relief through the blood of Christ which offers eternal acceptance, unconditional approval, uninterrupted fellowship, incorruptible holiness, and relentless love. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.3
God is asking us: “Do you want RELIEF or do you want FREEDOM?”
(from pages 218-219 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1“Drug Abuse, Addiction, and the Brain,” Substance Abuse and Addiction Health Center, WebMD, website: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/drug-abuse-addiction, accessed 6-15-14
2Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
3John 8:36″
